Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Concentration
, up to 1 minute
Save: Wisdom
You activate one of the effects below. Until the spell ends, you can activate either effect as a Magic action on your later turns.
Sense Thoughts. You sense the presence of thoughts within 30 feet of yourself that belong to creatures that know languages or are telepathic. You don't read the thoughts, but you know that a thinking creature is present.
The spell is blocked by 1 foot of stone, dirt, or wood; 1 inch of metal; or a thin sheet of lead.
Read Thoughts. Target one creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself or one creature within 30 feet of yourself that you detected with the Sense Thoughts option. You learn what is most on the target's mind right now. If the target doesn't know any languages and isn't telepathic, you learn nothing.
As a Magic action on your next turn, you can try to probe deeper into the target's mind. If you probe deeper, the target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you discern the target's reasoning, emotions, and something that looms large in its mind (such as a worry, love, or hate). On a successful save, the spell ends. Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and until you shift your attention away from the target's mind, the target can take an action on its turn to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC, ending the spell on a success.
Material Component:
a copper piece
Verbal Component:
Sensibilis Cogitatus
Verbal Component (Alternative):
From my mind I do project, to read the thoughts, that I do detect.
Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard, Rogue
Domain: Knowledge
Tags: Detection, Social
Source: Player's Handbook (2024) (page 262)
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Other Planes and Effects
Below is information about this spell as it relates to other planes and area of effects (i.e. underwater). Some of the information is pulled official D&D sources (such as books and the twitter feeds of D&D officials), but other information is derived from forums and online discussions. As always, it is up to the DM to decide how they wish to handle spell effects.
Underwater - Verbal Component
Official rules have been verified by Jeremy Crawford - "No rule prohibits verbal components from working underwater. Keep in mind that if you're talking, you're not holding your breath." Hence, while submerged underwater and holding its breath, a creature can cast a spell that requires a verbal component. After casting the spell, if the creature can't breathe underwater, it immediately runs out of breath. The creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round).
